Control of doors or gates for mining and other purposes



June 22 1926. 1,589,357

D. F. BROWN CONTROL OF DOORS OR GATES FOR MINING AND OTHER PURPOSES Filed Feb. 16, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WGAW...

v WEN June 22 1926.

D. F. BROWN CONTROL OF DOORS OR GATES FOR MINING AND OTHER PURPOSES Filed Feb. 16, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Amie June 22. 1926.

D. F. BROWN CONTROL OF DOORS 0R GATES-FOR MININQ AND OTHER PURPOSES Filed Feb. 16, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 22, 1926. v

uuirso sT' rEs PATENTLOFFICE.

DONALD E. BROWN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE UNION SWITCH 85 SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROL OF DOORS OR GATES FOR MINING AND OTHER PURPOSES."

Application filed February'lG, 1924, Serial No. 693,406, and in Great Britain April 17, 1923. Y

My invention relates to the control of doors or gates for mining and other purposes, particularly although not exclusively, to the control of the doors of air-locks in collieries. In such cases outer or entrance doors and inner or exit doors are provided for the tubs or trucks passing into and out of the airlock, and my-invention has for its object to provide arrangements for automatically controllingthe operation of these doors and the passage of the tubs or trucks therethrough, or more generally for automatically controlling the passage of such vehicles through a door or gate in such a manner as to ensure prescribed conditions as regards safety in trafic operation being observed. p

According to my present invention the opening and closing of the door or doors is arranged to be automatically controlled or eflected and thepassage of the vehicles therethrough automatically permitted or prevented in accordance with the open or closed condition of the door or doors and the number of vvehicles passing a predetermined point or points of control, so that the operation of the door or doors and the passage of the vehicles are mutually interlocked and 7 controlled in accordance with the conditions to be observed.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to the control of the doors of a colliery air-lock by way of example; Fig. 1 showing diagrammatically the general arrangement and connections of the electric interlocking system, and Figs. 2

to 9, inclusive being views in side elevation somewhat diagrammatic illustrating successive stages in operation.

Referring now tothe drawings, the airlock is provided with the-usual outer door 1 through which the vehicles enter the lock and an inner door 2 through which the vehicles pass out of the lock, each of these doors being provided with an electrically controlled and pneumatically operated opening mechanism of any suitable construction, the control magnets forthese mechanisms bein g indicated at 3, 4:, respectively. The circuit of the control magnet 3 is controlled by a relay 5, a similar relay 6 being provided for the control magnet 4. Each door is further provided with a pair of detector deand vices, one of which, indicated at 7 8, respectively, is operated when the door is fully closed and effects the completion and interruption of certain electrical circuits,.the other detector device, indicated at 9, 10, re-

spectively, being similarly operated when the door is fully opened.

A tub controller 11 operated by fluid under pressure is provided in front of the outer door 1 of the lock adapted when its electric controlling circuit is completed to (iii permit the passage of tubs or trucks past the 1 controlleull, to enter the lock and on the opposite side of the outer door 1, that is to say, 0111116 inside of the air-lock adjacent to its entrance, an axle counter 12 is provided adapted to interrupt a normally closed electric circuit when a certain number of axles has passed the counter and to interrupt a further normally closed circuit when anothernumber of axles has passed. In the arrangement illustrated the air-lock being adapted to contain nine tubs or trucks the first of these circuits is interrupted by the passage of the thirteenth axle, being completed again by the passage of the eighteenth axle, and the second circuit being interrupted by the passage of the seventeenth axle and being completed again by the passage of the eighteenth axle.

Within the air-lock and adjacent to the 'inner or exit door 2 thereof is arranged a scotch device 13 which s also electrically controlled in such a manner that when its electrical circuit is de-energized the scotch ment of a line of tubs or trucks into,

through, and out of the look is effected under the action of gravity, the track rails along which the vehicles pass having a sufficient gradient for this'purp ose.

Assumlng that the air-lock is empty and that its outer door 1 is in the course of opening, as shown in Fig. 2, the inner door 2 being fully closed, the control relay 5 is maintained in its energized position by means of a retaining circuit from the positive terminal 15 at the axle counter 12 through the normally closed contact 16, conductor 17, the: contact 18 of the relay 5, conductor 19, to the negative terminal 20. The control magnet 3 for effecting the opening movement of the door 1, which it is assumed is taking place, is supplied with operating current from the positive terminal 21 at the detector 8, through the closed detector contact 22, conductor 23, contact 24 of the control relay 5, conductor 25, the control magnet 3 to the negative terminal 26. During the opening movement of the outer door 1 as shown in Fig. 2 the line of tubs or trucks waiting outside the outer door 1 is prevented from forward movement by the action of the tub controller 11, the retaining arm 27 of the controller '11 being in its raised position so as to engage the front axle of the front tub 28 and thus prevent its forward movement. As soon as the outer door 1 is fully open, as shown in' Fig. 1, a main circuit for the control relay 6 is completed from the positive terminal 29 through detector contact 30, conductor 31, detector contact 32, conductor 33, the control relay 6, to the negative terminal 34. The control relay 6 is thus energized and a circuit is also completed from the conductor 25 through detector contact 35, conductor 36, axle counter contact 37, conductor 38, the control magnet 39 of the tub controller 11 to negative terminal 40. The tub controller l1,is thus unlocked and its retaining arm 27 is lowered to permit the front tub 28 of the line of tubs to enter the lock as shown in Fig. 3. The tubs then pass forward into the lock as shown in Fig. 4, and as soon as the thirteenth axle, that is to say, the frontv axle of the seventh tub indicated at 41 passes the entering axle counter 12 the control circuit of the tub controller 11 is interrupted at the axle counter contact 37 with the result that the mechanism of the tub controller 11 is operated so as to permit the controller to relock and arrest the passage of the tubs after live more axles have passed, the tub controller 11 being provided with an axle counter indicated at 42 for this purpose.

As soon as the seventeenth axle, that is to say, the front axle of the ninth tub indicated at 43 has passed the entering axle counter 12 as shown in Fig. 5, the retaining circuit from the positive terminal 15 through the conductor '17 and the control relay 5 is interrupted at the axle counter contact 16. with the result that the relay 5 is deenergized and the circuit through the control magnet 3 is interrupted at the relay contact 24. The

outer door 1 is thus caused to close, and the the leading tub 28 abut against the scotch device 13 which is, during the operation above described, maintained in its normal or raised position'sothat the forward movement of the line of tubs is arrested as soon as the nine tubs have fully entered the lock.

The outer door 1 being fully closed as shown in Fig. 6, the circuit of the control magnet 4 of the inner door 2 is completed from the positive terminal 49, detector contact 50, conductor 51, relay Contact 52, conductors 53, 54, control magnet 4, to the negative terminal 55. The inner door operating mechanism is thus actuated and the inner door proceeds to open, as shown in Fig. 7. t a 1 When the inner door 2 is fully open as shown in Fig. 8, a circuit is completed from the positive terminal 49, through detector contact 50, conductor 51, relay contact 52, conductor 53, detector contact 56, conductor 57, through the control magnet 58 of the scotch device to the negative terminal 59. The scotch device 13 is thus caused to move to its lowered position as shown in Fig. 8 and the tubs or trucks contained within the cles to pass out of the look through the inner door 2. The inner door 2 being fully opened a main circuit for energizing the relay 5 is completed from the positive terminal 60, through detector contact 61, conductor 62, detector contact 63, conductor 64, the relay 5 to the negative terminal 20.

As soon as the seventeenth axle, that is to say, the front axle of the last tub 43, passes the leaving axle counter 14 beyond the inner door 2, the retaining circuit of the inner door relay 6 is interrupted at the axle counter contact 45, and the relay 6 being de-ener gized the circuit of the control magnet 4 of the door operating mechanism of the inner door 2 is consequently broken and this door is therefore closed. The last or eighteenth axle when it passes the leaving axle counter 14 beyond the inner door 2 remakes the contact ready'for the next cycle of operations. V

The relay 5 having been energized as above explained the whole cycle of opera tions is again performed to permit the next .105 airlock are released, permitting these vehisuccessive series of nine tubs to enterthe air-lock.

From the above description it will be seen that complete interlocking between the actions of the inner and outer doors of the lock is effected, so that these doors cannot be both open at the same time nor can the Outer door he closed until the proper number of vehicles has fully entered the air-lock.

The energizing current employed for the various devices above described may either be direct or alternating, and may be derived from any suitable source, and in the arrangement of the electric circuit as well as in the constructional details of the various operating and control devices employed the invention can evidently be modified in order to meet particular conditions of operation without exceeding the scope of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is: y

l. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, and an opening circuit for each door controlled by the other door.

2. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, an opening circuit for each door, and a contact included in the circuit for each door and closed only when the other door is closed.

3. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, a control relay for each door, a pick-up circuit for each relay controlled by the position of the other door, and a stick circuit for each relav controlled by tubs passing the associated door. 7

4. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, a control relay for each door, a pick-up circuit for each relay including a contact which is closed only when the otherv door is open, a stick circuit for each relay, and an axle counter for controlling each stick circuit and operated by tubs passing the associated door.

5. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, a control relay for each door, a pick-up circuit for each relay controlled by the position of the other door, a stick circuit for each relay controlled by tubs passing the associated door, and an opening circuit for each door closed only when the associated relay is closed and the other door is closed.

6. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, a control relay for each door, a pick-up circuit for each relay including a contact which is closed only when the other door is open, a stick circuit for each relay, an axle counter for controlling each stick circuit and operated by tubs passing the associated door, and an opening circuit for each door closed only when the associated relay is closed and the other door is closed.

7. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, a control relay for each door, means for energizing each relay only when the associated door is closed and the other door is open, and means for subsequently keeping each relay closed until a given number of tubs have passed through the associated door.

8. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, a control relay for each door, means for energizing each relay only when the asso-. ciated door is closed and the other door is open, means for subsequently keeping each relay closed until a given number of tubs have passed through the associated door, and an opening circuit for each door closed only when the associated relay is closed and the other door is closed.

9. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, a control relay for each door, a pick-up circuit for each relay including a contact which is closed only when the associated door is closed and a second contact which is closed only when the other door is open, a stick circuit for each relay, and an axle counter for each door for opening the stick circuit for the associated relay after a given number of tubs have passed through the door.

10. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, a control relay for each door, apick-up circuit for each relay including a contact which is closed only when the associated door is closed and a second contact which is closed only when the other door is open, a stick circuit for each relay, an axle counter for each door for opening the stick circuit for the associated relay after a given number of tubs have passed through the door, and

an opening circuit for each door closed only when the associated relay is closed and the other door is closed.

11. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, a stop for each door for preventing tubs passing through the door, means for releasing each stop if and only if the associated door is open, and the other door is closed.

12. In combination, a mine door, a stop for preventing tubs passing through the door, and a releasing circuit for said stop controlled by the number of tubs passing through said door.

13. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, a control relay for each door, means for en ergizing each relay only when the associated door is closed and the other door is open, means for subsequently keeping each relay closed until a given number of tubs have passed through the associated door, a stop associated with each door for preventing tubs passing through the door, and means for preventing the release'of said stop unless the associated relay is energized.

14. A mine air-lock comprising two doors, a control relay for each door, means for energizing each relay only when the associated door is closed and the other door is open, 'means for subsequently keeping each relay closed until a given number of tubs have passed through the associated door, a stop & 1

a control relay for each door, means for energizing each relay only when the associated door is closed and the other door is open, means for subsequently keeping each relay closed until a given number of tubs have passed through the associated door, a stop associated with aeh door for preventing tub-s passing through the door, and a releasing circuit for each stop including a front Contact of the associated relay and a contact closed only when the associated door is open and a contact closed only when the other door is closed and a contact opened after a given number of tabs have passed through the associated door.

16. In combination, a mine door, a stop for preventing tubs from passing through said door, and means for controlling said stop jointly by the number of tubs which have passed through said door and the 1112111 ber of tubs approaching said door.

17. In combination, a mine door, a stop for pre enting tubs from passing through said door, an axle counter associated with said stop and operated by tubs approaching said door but normally ineffective to control the stop, and a second axle counter operated by tubs which have passed through said door for rendering said first counter effective to control said stop. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DONALD F. BROWN. 

